Saug

The southern part of the East Wilds is called Saug. An overwhelming majority of the population are Orlanth pantheon-worshipping humans, the remainder being aldryami, beastmen and hsunchen. Most of the inhabitants live by farming along the Allspring River or one of its tributaries.

Beside Ernalda and Orlanth the mother-naiad of the Allspring, Pastoma, and her daughter-naiads in the tributaries are important in Saugian religion. Odayla is not as popular as in Delela or Keanos.

There is only one city worthy of the appellation in Saug: Dorflik, an important focal point for the Ayosaug-Sephar-oyl tribe and Saugian trade. This trade is more rudimentary than in Delela, mostly going back and forth between Dorflik and Kilwin. A small trade route also leads west, to Keanos and its prized furs.

Saug is composed of eight tribes (including the non-humans), the total population exceeding 100000. The six human tribes are further subdivided into about 250 clans. Councils of the tribes are very rarely called these days: there is a traditional meeting every year, immediately after the Sacred Time, and once in a while clan bickering spills over tribal borders, but there has been no real inter-tribal conflict since 1536, when Dolemay absorbed a group of clans that where formerly allied to Sephar-oyl. Neither has there been any cooperation to speak of; Saugians believe in minding their own business and find the Delelan idea of a 'king' mystifying.

Tribe Population Leader

Ayosaug-Sephar-oyl 37000 (Erwina Onesword)

Nivion 20000 Surdaga Fiveoaths

Gospayl 17000 Margal the Trollkineater

Dolemay 9000 Yolg Goldsnatcher

Neomal 8000 (Starkvar Spellmaster)

Maula 8000 Ynamog Beaver

Beastmen 2000 Ordin Hornblower

Aldryami 1800 Tim Treeroot

Ayosaug-Sephar-oyl

Not really a single tribe, but two tribes that have been cooperating closely ever since the Dawning. Clans and clansmen of the double tribe see themselves as belonging to either Ayosaug or Sephar-oyl internally, but towards outsiders they present a united front. Apart from the actual tribesmen, over three thousand people live in Dorflik, being loyal to both tribes and/or the city. In Dorflik you can also find Saug's largest Orlanth temple, with about twenty priests and as many acolytes. High priest of this temple is Bostrix Wolffang. Just north of Dorflik lies "the Hill of the Dark Wind", or "Orlanth's Hill": a place of high mana, close to the other side. Any prospective chieftain must go to this hill and there endure rigourous tests and trials. No one has passed these tests in the seventy years since Thuling Blazebrain did so. He died thirty-five years ago, so at present there is no tribal chieftain.

In the absence of such a leader, the clan heads rule the tribe. Inter-clan affairs are mostly presided over by Dorflik's citylord, who is independent of all the clans. The citylord was originally elected by the city council, but during Fegalim Wisedagger's term the office became hereditary. The current citylord, Erwina Onesword, is Fegalim's son's daughter, and like her grandfather a Humakti Sword.

At the (now very infrequent) Saugian tribal councils, Erwina represents Ayosaug-Sephar-oyl. She has no vote, but can voice the tribe's opinions. Since none of the many promising young men and women that have attempted the trials on Orlanth's Hill has succeeded, Saug's largest tribe is excluded from politics on the national level.

Since the Allspring is very important to the tribe's continued existence, the great naiad Pastoma (a River Goddess) and her sub-cults dominate religious practices in several clans.

Nivion

Between Ayosaug-Sephar-oyl and Wonderwood lies Saug's most fertile land, and the Nivion tribe concentrates even more on agriculture than the norm. A large number of tributaries to the Allspring cross the area, and most of the population lives in their river valleys. They can actually bring home two harvests each year; local Ernalda priestesses claim the goddess herself has blessed their land, while Lhankor Mhy sages attribute this unusual fertility to the proximity of the magical Wonderwood.

Unusually enough for the Wilds, Nivion has a female chief: Surdaga Fiveoaths. But most of the actual power is held by the Ernalda and River temples, the nominal leader is more of a figurehead and mouthpiece for the council. Surdaga has during her forty years of life given five holy vows in Orlanth's name, and so far she's held to all of them. Rumours abound that she is soon to give a sixth, much more powerful oath that will help her achieve Hero status. She is also an acolyte of Orlanth Thunderous and one of Nivion's most accomplished magicians.

The most important cults are those of Ernalda and the naiads. As the priestesses are in control of politics, the Nivion tribe could well be considered matriarchal.

Gospayl

In the eastern part of Saug, right next to Corolaland, are the lands of the Gospayl tribe. Furthest to the east is the Hamral clan, which was long the dominant clan and had friendly contacts with the trolls. But since Margal the Trollkineater killed Jormgal Darkfeather these relations have cooled. Many of the tribesmen used to worship Argan Argar, but this is now proscribed. The Takaler clan (Margal's) follows Orlanth exclusively and hates trolls.

During the past ten years colonization of Corolaland has started up again. The people who have already lived there for generations by the trolls' leave don't approve of this, they're afraid of reprisals. The Dolemay, Rolin and Nardain tribes support the expansion as long as it doesn't interfere with their trading.

Jormgal Darkfeather's brothers, Yon and Grank, fled east and rumours flourish that they live among the trolls now, organizing a troll army for their comeback.

Dolemay

One of the smaller tribes, sometimes known as the Darkcut tribe (after the former location of their largest Orlanth temple). Because of its size and location, Dolemay has been forced to carry on a diplomatic balancing act between Halikiv, Delela and the other Saugian tribes (especially Ayosaug-Sephar-oyl, who mistrust them intensely). Dolemay's current leader is said to be preparing some great Light magic against the trolls of Halikiv and Corolaland.

Yolg Goldsnatcher (the leader) is of the Niamor clan, which has dominated this tribe for several centuries. His is a very influential family: the Orlanth high priest is his cousin and his sister-in-law is high priestess of Ernalda.

The Dolemayi have traditionally had hunting grounds stretching eastwards into Corolaland, but for the past half century they've been pulling out of this area. Left in Corolaland are several groups of Dolemay families, but these are losing their old clan ties and starting to form a new, Odayla-oriented, tribe (with parts of the Rolin and Nardain tribes who are in a similar position).

Neomal

Another small tribe. It's located far to the west, bordering on the primitive empire of Basim, with which Neomal sometimes has minor border conflicts.

The formally elected leader, Jogang Boldeye, performed his duties competently until a few years ago, when he suffered a serious head injury. Starkvar Spellmaster, an Orlanth high priest, has since stepped forward to fill his shoes. The tribe is divided on the issue of who to support - especially as a sizeable fraction feel that Jogang is too addled and Starkvar too fanatic to lead properly, thus they both should go.

Apart from the normal worshippers of Orlanth, Odayla (most of Saug's Hunter cultists are among the Neomal) or Ernalda, a number of Issaries traders have settled here, making a living off journeys to Keanos and the Manirian trade that trickles through Pralorela and Basim. These merchants actually rule several villages, but subordinate themselves to the tribal leadership.

From the Safelster states, rich nobles and businessmen come to hunt in the outskirts of Wonderwood. A few native hunters specialize in giving these thrill-seekers guided tours. Some of the safari-organizers have gained bad reputations from incidents where they were the only survivors of an expedition.

Maula

Formerly, the Maula lands stretched east through current-day Gospayl into Corolaland, south into Wonderwood and north over what now belongs to Sephar-oyl. This period of greatness ended in 1431 ST as a result of the "Shadowstrangle". The Maula had a long tradition of following Odayla's ways, and an ancient friendship with the Raccoon hsunchen. When Targot Headstinger was captured by the troll Hero Darba Splittooth and his brother Voshak Gogel (of the Sporelicker clan), a ransom of thirty-three Taumat pelts was demanded. The ensuing intensive hunt for Taumats awakened the wrath of Dalong Fourfang: while the requisite number of beasts were felled and the ransom delivered, no children were born to the Maula tribe during the following ten years. It was decimated to its present population level and displaced by the surrounding tribes. Entering the Wonderwood is now taboo for the Maula, in fact they actively try to stop others from going there. "It's for their own good", they say.

Ynamog Beaver is one of the tribe's approximately 1000 Orlanthi, Ernalda and shamanism being more popular (worshipping Odayla is of course no longer an alternative). His authority over the clans is even less than normal for the East Wilds.

Beastmen

On the southern edge of Saug and the borders of Wonderwood live a few thousand beastmen. They have no fixed abode, but aren't really nomads (like the hsunchen) either: they stay within Saug, roaming through Gospayl, Maula and Nivion lands. They don't trade or form alliances with any of these tribes, preferring to stay clear of human affairs.

On those infrequent occasions when they do have to contact humans for some reason, they're usually represented by their leader: Ordin Hornblower, a centaur who has been initiated into Orlanth (in addition to his other religions).

Centaurs form the majority of the beastmen, the rest being creatures from Wonderwood like the nunmins, gwaurs and others.

Religious practices mostly consist of shamanism, worshipping various odd spirits out of Wonderwood (whether these are ancestral or nature spirits is a moot point). Some of the centaurs and minotaurs follow human deities instead, but don't seem to have any temples or formal organization at all.

Aldryami

One small colony of aldryami remains in the Wilds. The Green Spirit Wood in northern Saug has a forbidding reputation among humans. It's an airy, light-filled forest, not at all dense and gloomy like some elf woods. Despite this, travellers lose their way with distressing frequency and often report strange hallucinations, both visual (lights, half-glimpsed movement) and auditory (absurd questions out of thin air).

Actually, of the stated population (1800), 300 are dringi, and of the remainder only 10% are elves or dryads. Smaller varieties of aldryami (runners, pixies, sprites etc.) make up the rest. The reason for this sorry state of affairs is the Arkat Wars, where most of the aldryami that refused to renounce Nysalor were obliterated. The survivors probably wouldn't have lasted as long as they have without the dringi's help. These stone giants came down from the Nidan Mountains during the 2nd age as followers of one of the elves that helped bestow intelligence upon them. He was a native of the Green Spirit Wood and an ancestor of the current High King Elf, Tim Treeroot.

Aldrya is of course the dominant cult. There's really only one other religious movement worthy of notice, but it's a rather peculiar one: practically all of the elves, dryads and dringi are Illuminated. The dringi in particular are Riddlers of great experience. Great hopes are attached to the approaching Hero Wars: the whole point of this event is of course to herald Nysalor's second coming. The White Light will reduce the trolls to fertilizer and bring peace to the world again.

In the meantime, the aldryami would very much like to spread true insight among other peoples. So far only a few Galanini clans have proved receptive: they appreciate having allies against the trolls, and listening to some weird talk seems a small price to pay.